Wedding Readings

For many couples, choosing the Scripture readings turns out to be one of the highlights of planning their Catholic wedding.

The first reading, taken from the Old Testament

The responsorial psalm, taken from the Book of Psalms

The second reading, taken from the New Testament

The Gospel reading, taken from one of the four Gospels

Catholic weddings usually include three readings plus the responsorial psalm. Each of the readings was chosen for the insight it offers into Christian marriage, even if it does not speak about marriage directly.

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Who will perform the Readings?

The priest or deacon who witnesses your marriage will proclaim the Gospel reading. The responsorial psalm may be led by a cantor (song leader), or simply recited by a reader if a cantor is unavailable. That leaves you to find readers for the first and second readings.

Readers perform a sacred ministry—proclaiming the Word of God—and should be well prepared for their role.

The Readings

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The Rite of Marriage provides between seven and ten different options for each of the Scripture readings and the responsorial psalm. Each of the readings was chosen for the insight it offers into Christian marriage, even if it does not speak about marriage directly.

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Readings are presented in pairings. These are suggestions only. Any other suitable pairing may be used, and readings should be chosen with care, having regard to the pastoral needs of the occasion and in consultation with the priest / deacon.

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The First Reading & Psalm

A Reading from the book of Genesis 1 :26-28.31

God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.’

God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.

God blessed them, saying to them, 'Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth.' God saw all he had made, indeed it was very good.

The word of the Lord.

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Responsorial Psalm Ps 32:12. 18.20-22. R v.5

R The Lord fills the earth with his love.

1 They are happy, whose God is the Lord

the people he has chosen as his own.

The Lord looks on those who revere him,

on those who hope in his love. R

2 Our soul is waiting for the Lord.

The Lord is our help and our shield.

In him do our hearts find joy.

We trust in his holy name. R

3 May your love be upon us, O Lord,

as we place all our hope in you. R

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A Reading from the book of Genesis 2: 18-24

The Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helpmate.' So from the soil the Lord God fashioned all the wild beasts and all the birds of heaven. These he brought to the man to see what he would call them; each one was to bear the name the man would give it. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of heaven and all the wild beasts.

But no helpmate suitable for man was found for him. So the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep. And while he slept, he took one of his ribs and enclosed it in flesh. The Lord God built the rib he had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man. The man exclaimed:

'This at last is bone from my bones,

and flesh from my flesh!

This is to be called woman,

for this was taken from man. ,

This is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, and they

become one body.'

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The word of the Lord.

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Responsorial Psalm Ps 148 1-4. 9-14. R v.12

R Praise the name of the Lord.

1 Praise the Lord from the heavens,

praise him in the heights.

Praise him, all his angels,

praise him, all his host. R

2 Praise him, sun and moon,

praise him, shining stars.

Praise him, highest heavens

and the waters above the heavens. R

3 All mountains and hills,

all fruit trees and cedars,

beasts, wild and tame,

reptiles and birds on the wing. R

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4 All earth's kings and peoples,

earth's princes and rulers:

young men and maidens,

old men together with children. R

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord

for he alone is exalted.

The splendour of his name

reaches beyond heaven and earth. R

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A Reading from the book of Genesis 24: 48-51. 58-67

Abraham's servant said to Laban, ‘I blessed the Lord, God of my master Abraham, who had so graciously led me to choose the daughter of my master's brother for his son. Now tell me whether you are prepared to show kindness and goodness to my master; if not, say so and I shall know what to do.’

Laban and Bethuel replied, ‘This is from the Lord; it is not in our power to say yes or no to you. Rebekah is there before you. Take her and go; and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has decreed.' They called Rebekah and asked her, 'Do you want to leave with this man?' 'I do,' she replied. Accordingly they let their sister Rebekah go, with her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. They blessed Rebekah in these words:

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'Sister of ours, increase

to thousands and tens of thousands!

May your descendants gain possession

of the gates of their enemies!'

Rebekah and her servants stood up, mounted the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah and departed.

Isaac, who lived in the Negeb, had meanwhile come into the wilderness of the well of Lahai Roi. Now Isaac went walking in the fields as evening fell, and looking up saw camels approaching. And Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac. She jumped down from her camel, and asked the servant, ‘Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?' The servant replied, 'That is my master'; then she took her veil and hid her face. The servant told Isaac the whole story, and Isaac led Rebekah into his tent and made her his wife; and he loved her. And so Isaac was consoled for the loss of his mother.

The word of the Lord.

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Responsorial Psalm Ps 144: 8-10. 15. 17-18. Rv.9

R How good is the Lord to all.

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1 The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

compassionate to all his creatures. R

2 All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

The eyes of all creatures look to you

and you give them their food in due time. R

3 The Lord is just in all his ways

and loving in all his deeds.

He is close to all who call him,

who call on him from their hearts. R

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A Reading from the book of Tobit 7: 6-14

Raguel kissed Tobias and wept. Then finding words, he said, 'Blessings on you, child! You are the son of a noble father. How sad it is that someone so virtuous and full of good deeds should have gone blind! ‘He fell on the neck of his kinsman Tobias and wept. And his wife Edna wept for him, and so did his daughter Sarah. Raguel killed a sheep from the flock, and they gave Tobias and Raphael a warm hearted welcome.

They washed and bathed and sat down to table. Then Tobias said to Raphael, 'Brother Azarias, will you ask Raguel to give me my sister Sarah?' Raguel overheard the words, and said to the young man, ‘Eat and drink, and make the most of your evening; no one else has the right to take my daughter Sarah -no one but you, my brother. In any case I, for my own part, am not at liberty to give her to anyone else, since you are her next of kin. However, my boy, I must be frank with you: I have tried to find a husband for her seven times among our kinsmen, and all of them have died the first evening, on going to her room. But for the present, my boy, eat and drink; the Lord will grant you his grace and peace.' Tobias spoke out, 'I will not hear of eating and drinking till you have come to a decision about me'. Raguel answered, ‘Very well. Since, as prescribed by the Book of Moses, she is given to you, heaven itself decrees she shall be yours. I shall therefore entrust your sister to you. From now you are her brother and she is your sister. She is given to you from today for ever. The Lord of heaven favour you tonight, my child, and grant you his grace and peace. '

Raguel called for his daughter Sarah, took her by the hand and gave her to Tobias with these words, 'I entrust her to you; the law and the ruling recorded in the Book of Moses assign her to you as your wife. Take her; take her home to your father's house with a good conscience. The God of heaven grant you a good journey in peace. Then he turned to her mother and asked her to fetch him writing paper. He drew up the marriage contract, how he gave his daughter as bride to Tobias according to the ordinance in the Law of Moses. After this they began to eat and drink.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 32:12.18.20-22. R v.5

R The Lord fills the earth with his love.

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1 They are happy, whose God is the Lord,

the people he has chosen as his own.

The Lord looks on those who revere him,

on those who hope in his love. R

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2 Our soul is waiting for the Lord.

The Lord is our help and our shield.

In him do our hearts find joy.

We trust in his holy name. R

3 May your love be upon us, O Lord,

as we place all our hope in you. R

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A Reading from the book of Tobit 8: 4-8

On the evening of their marriage, Tobias said to Sarah. 'You and I must pray and petition our Lord to win his grace and protection. ‘They began praying for protection, and this was how he began:

‘You are blessed, O God of our fathers;

blessed, too, is your name

for ever and ever.

Let the heavens bless you

and all things you have made

for evermore.

It was you who created Adam,

you who created Eve his wife

to be his help and support;

and from these two the human race was born.

It was you who said,

"It is not good that the man should be alone;

let us make him a helpmate like himself."

And so I do not take my sister

for any lustful motive;

I do it in singleness of heart.

Be kind enough to have pity on her and on me

and bring us to old age together.'

And together they said, ‘Amen, Amen’.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 102: 1-2. 8.13. 17-18. W v.8. Alt. R v. 17

R The Lord is compassion and love.

I My soul, give thanks to the Lord,

all my being, bless his holy name.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

and never forget all his blessings. R

2 The Lord is compassion and love,

slow to anger and rich in mercy.

As a father has compassion on his sons,

the Lord has pity on those who fear him. R

3 The love of the Lord is everlasting

upon those who hold him in fear;

his justice reaches out to children's children

when they keep his covenant in truth. R

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A Reading from the Song of Songs 2: 8-10. 14. 15; 8: 6-7

I hear my Beloved.

See how he comes

leaping on the mountains,

bounding over the hills'

My Beloved is like a gazelle,

like a young stag.

See where he stands

behind our wall.

He looks in at the window

He peers through the lattice

Beloved lifts up his voice,

says to me,

'Come then, my love,

lovely one, come.

My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock.

In the coverts of the cliff,

show me your face,

let me hear your voice;

for your voice is sweet

and your face is beautiful.

My beloved is mine and I am his.

Set me like a seal on your heart,

like a seal on your arm.

For love is strong as Death,

jealousy relentless as Sheol.

The flash of it is a flash of fire,

a flame of the Lord himself.

Love no flood can quench,

no torrents drown.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 127: 1-5. R cf. v. I. Alt. R v. 4

R O blessed are those who fear the Lord!

1 O blessed are those who fear the Lord

and walk in his ways!

By the labour of your hands you shall eat.

You will be happy and prosper. R

2 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

in the heart of your house;

your children like shoots of the olive,

around your table. R

3. Indeed thus shall be blessed

the man who fears the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion

all the days of your life! R

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A Reading from the book of Ecclesiasticus 26: l A. l3-l6

Happy the husband of a really good wife;

the number of his days will be doubled.

A perfect wife is the joy of her husband,

he will live out the years of his life in peace.

A good wife is the best of portions,

reserved for those who fear the Lord;

rich or poor, they will be glad of heart;

cheerful of face, whatever the season.

The grace of a wife will charm her husband,

her accomplishments will make him stronger .

A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,

no price can be put on a well-trained character.

A modest wife is a boon twice over

a chaste character cannot be weighed on scales.

Like the sun rising over the mountains of the Lord,

the beauty of a good wife in a well-kept house.

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The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:2-9. R v.2 Alt. R v.9

R I will bless the Lord at all times.

1 I will bless the Lord at all times,

his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

The humble shall hear and be glad. R

2 Glorify the Lord with me.

Together let us praise his name.

I sought the Lord and he answered me;

from all my terrors he set me free. R

3 Look towards him and be radiant;

let your faces not be abashed.

This poor man called; the Lord heard him

This poor man called and rescued him from all his distress. R

4 The angel of the Lord is encamped

around those who revere him, to rescue them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

He is happy who seeks refuge in him. R

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A Reading from the prophet Jeremiah 31 : 31-34

See, the days are coming - it is the Lord who speaks - when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, but not a covenant like the one I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. No, this is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel when those days arrive - it is the Lord who speaks. Deep within them I will plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I will be their God and they shall be my people. There will be no further need for neighbour to try to teach neighbour, or brother to say to brother, ‘Learn to know the Lord!' No, they will all know me, the least no less than the greatest - it is the Lord who speaks.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 111: 1-9. R cf. v. 1

R Happy the man who takes delight in the Lord's commands.

1 Happy the man who fears the Lord,

who takes delight in his commands.

His sons will be powerful on earth;

the children of the upright are blessed. R

2 Riches and wealth are in his house;

his justice stands firm for ever.

He is a light in the darkness for the upright:

he is generous, merciful and just. R

3 The good man takes pity and lends,

he conducts his affairs with honour.

The just man will never waver:

he will be remembered for ever. R

4 He has no fear of evil news;

with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.

With a steadfast heart he will not fear;

he will see the downfall of his foes. R

5 Open-handed, he gives to the poor;

his justice stands firm for ever.

His head will be raised in glory. R

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A Reading from the book of the Apocalypse 19:1.5-9

I, John, seemed to hear the great sound of a huge crowd in heaven, singing, ‘Alleluia! Victory and glory and power to our God! , Then a voice came from the throne; it said, 'Praise our God, you servants of his and all who, great or small, revere him '. And I seemed to hear the voices of a huge crowd, like the sound of the ocean or the great roar of thunder, answering, ‘Alleluia! The reign of the Lord our God Almighty has begun; let us be glad and joyful and give praise to God, because this is the time for the marriage of the Lamb. His bride ready, and she has been able to dress herself in dazzling white linen, because her linen is made of the good deeds of the saints. 'The angel said, ‘Write this: Happy are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.'

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 148: 1-4. 9-14. Rv.12

R Praise the name of the Lord.

I Praise the Lord from the heavens,

praise him in the heights.

Praise him, all his angels,

praise him, all his host. R

2 Praise him, sun and moon,

praise him, shining stars.

Praise him, highest heavens

and the waters above the heavens. R

3 All mountains and hills,

all fruit trees and cedars,

beasts, wild and tame,

reptiles and birds on the wing. R

4 All earth's kings and peoples,

earth's princes and rulers:

young men and maidens,

old men together with children. R

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord

for he alone is exalted.

The splendour of his name

reaches beyond heaven and earth. R

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The Second Reading

A Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans 8: 31-35. 37-39

With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give. Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen? When God acquits, could anyone condemn? Could Christ Jesus? No! He not only died for us -he rose from the dead, and there at God’s right hand he stands and pleads for us.

Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried or being persecuted, or lacking, food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked.

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These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us. For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The word of the Lord.

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A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans. 12: 1-2. 9-18

Think of God's mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do.

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Do not let your love be a pretence, but sincerely prefer good to evil. Love each other as much as brothers should, and have a profound respect for each other. Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit. If you have hope, this will make you cheerful. Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying. If anyone is in need you must share with them; and you should make hospitality your special care.

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Bless those who persecute you: never curse them, bless them. Rejoice with those who rejoice and be sad with those in sorrow. Treat everyone with equal kindness; never be condescending but make real friends with the poor. Do not allow yourself to become self satisfied. Never repay evil with evil but let everyone see that you are interested only in the highest ideals. Do all you can to live at peace with everyone.

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The word of the Lord.

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A Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans 12:1-2.9-13

Think of God's mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do.

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Do not let your love be a pretence, but sincerely prefer good to evil. Love each other as much as brothers should, and have profound respect for each other. Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit. If you have hope, this will make you cheerful. Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying. If anyone is in need you must share with them; and you should make hospitality your special care.

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The word of the Lord.

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A Reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 6: 13-15.17-20

The body is not meant for fornication; it is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. God, who raised the Lord from the dead, will by his power raise us up too. You know, surely, that your bodies are members making up the body of Christ. But anyone who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

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Keep away from fornication. All the other sins are committed outside the body; but to fornicate is to sin against your own body. Your body, you know, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you since you received him from God. You are not your own property; you have been bought and paid for. That is why you should use your body for the glory of God.

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The word of the Lord.

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A Reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 12: 31- 13:8

Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them.

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If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if l have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.

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Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth: it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.

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Love does not come to an end.

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The word of the Lord.

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A reading from the letter of St, Paul to the Ephesians 5: 2. 21-33

Follow Christ by loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place. Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything.

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Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a. form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies: for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself.

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A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body - and we are its living parts. For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body. This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church. To sum up; you too, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband.

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The word of the Lord.

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A Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Colossians 3.12-17

You are God's chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.

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Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God and never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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The word of the Lord.

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A Reading from the first letter of St. Peter 3: 1-9

Wives should be obedient to their husbands. Then, if there are some husbands who have not yet obeyed the word, they may find themselves won over, without a word spoken, by the way their wives behave, when they see how faithful and conscientious they are. Do not dress up for show: doing up your hair, wearing gold bracelets and fine clothes; all this should be inside, in a person’s heart, imperishable: the ornament of a sweet and gentle disposition - this is. what is precious in the sight of God. That was how the holy women of the past dressed themselves attractively -they hoped in God and were tender and obedient to their husbands; like Sarah, who was obedient to Abraham, and called him her lord. You are now her children, as long as you live good lives and do not give way to fear or worry.

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In the same way, husbands must always treat their wives with consideration in their life together, respecting a woman as one who, though she may be the weaker partner, is equally an heir to the life of grace. This will stop anything from coming in the way of your prayers.

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Finally: you should all agree among yourselves and be sympathetic; love the brothers, have compassion and be self -effacing. Never pay back one wrong with another one; instead, pay back with a blessing. That is what you are called to do, so that you inherit a blessing yourself.

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The word of the Lord.

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A Reading from the first letter of St. John 3:18-24

My children,

our love is not to be just words or mere talk,

but something real and active;

only by this can we be certain

that we are children of the truth

and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence,

whatever accusations it may raise against us,

because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything.

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My dear people,

if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience,

we need not be afraid in God's presence,

and whatever we ask him,

we shall receive,

because we keep his commandments

and live the kind of life that he wants.

His commandments are these:

that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ

and that we love one another

as he told us to.

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Whoever keeps his commandments

lives in God and God lives in him.

We know that he lives in us

by the Spirit that he has given us.

The word of the Lord.

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A Reading from the first letter of St. John 4: 7-12

My dear people,

let us love one another

since love comes from God

and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.

Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,

because God is love.

God's love for us was revealed

when God sent into the world his only Son

so that we could have life through him;

this is the love I mean:

not our love for God,

but God's love for us when he sent his Son

to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

My dear people,

since God has loved us so much,

we too should love one another.

No one has ever seen God;

but as long as we love one another

God will live in us

and his love will be complete in us.

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The word of the Lord.

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The Gospel Reading

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The priest or deacon witnessing your marriage will choose the most appropriate Gospel passage for your celebration. For your information, the Gospel passages normally used are given below.

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Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. (Matthew 5:1-12)

You are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:13-16)

A wise man built his house on rock. (Matthew 7:21, 24-29)

What God has united, man must not separate. (Matthew 19:3-6)

This is the greatest and the first commandment.

The second is like it. (Matthew 22:35-40)

They are no longer two, but one flesh. (Mark 10:6-9)

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee. (John 2:1-11)